ALTON - Though their team ultimately fell to the Quincy High School Blue Devils 35-21 last Friday night, the Alton High School Redbirds offense did what they could to ensure that their team would not be taking that loss quietly.
Without the help of Johnathan Bumpers and Darrell Smith during Friday night’s matchup, it is easy to say that the Alton’s offense would not have stood near as strong. The Redbirds Nest fan zone would not have rallied as hard as they had, filling Public School Stadium with the shrill screams of applause and the emotion that Alton needed: hope.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
After a scoreless first quarter, Quincy locked in a touchdown and an extra point from the field goal kick. At the third with eight yards to go from the line of scrimmage, with approximately 9:36 left on the clock, Alton quarterback Taylor Price shot the ball down field into the hands of Johnathan Bumpers who dashed into the end zone, leaving Quincy’s Aaron Shoot on the ground after a failed tackle in his wake to tie the score at 7-7 after the kick.
“It feels good just to help my team out,” Bumpers said. “We just can’t give up. We have to keep everybody’s head up and keep a positive attitude.”
Nearly five minutes ticked off the clock before the Blue Devils came back to take the lead again from the Redbirds with a touchdown and free point before the end of the second. Though the team was falling behind, Alton was not going down without a fight.
After scoring 21 points in the third quarter, Quincy held a solid lead of 35-7 over Alton heading into the fourth. With around 4:33 left on the clock, the ball one yard off the Blue Devil’s 30, Price snapped the ball to Darrell Smith, who weaved up the middle, darted right down the sideline and left everyone in his wake as made it to the end zone to secure an astonishing 71-yard touchdown. After the kick, the score was brought to 35-14.
With less than a minute and a half left on the clock, a touchdown run by Price and a free point froze the Redbird’s scoring at 21 to Quincy’s 35, ending the game. These plays by Bumpers and Smith have did not go unnoticed and these offensive moves are surely key to the Redbirds’ return to glory throughout the course of the season.
On Sept. 9, Alton will travel to East St. Louis to face the Flyers. Their record remains 0-2 to East St. Louis’s 2-0.
More like this:
